DAFF - FTA/APSA Biosecurity Report 42 20/10/2026 Sponsored by Wisetech Academy

Welcome to the Freight & Trade Alliance (FTA) Biosecurity Report, your one-stop update on the latest operational issues and notices issued by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). This report is designed to keep you informed and prepared to manage biosecurity compliance effectively in an ever-changing landscape.

This Week in Biosecurity

It was a particularly active week across biosecurity and trade, with significant developments spanning industry accreditation, biosecurity assessment processes, import and export requirements, BICON changes and trade remedies.

A key reminder for customs brokers and accredited industry participants is that CBC Activity 2026-2027/02 (CPD0310 – Stream A – 4.5 CPD Points) is now live on DAFF's LearnHub. Accredited persons operating under Approved Arrangement Class 19 are required to complete the Continued Biosecurity Competency activity to maintain their accreditation, with completion required by Tuesday 10 November 2026. Members should note that completion of the DAFF activity will not appear on their MYFTA CPD Statement of Attainment, and LearnHub support enquiries should be directed to DAFF.

Also significant this week was the release of the Inspector-General of Biosecurity's final review into documentation requirements for the biosecurity risk assessment of imported goods. The review examines the increasingly important role documentation plays within Australia's biosecurity system and identifies opportunities to strengthen assurance and verification, improve communication between policy and operational areas, provide greater operational input into import conditions, enhance BICON support and strengthen fraud detection and feedback mechanisms. DAFF has agreed to all eight recommendations. FTA will continue engaging with the Inspector-General and DAFF as the recommendations progress.

On the operational front, DAFF issued a range of import updates covering changes to inspections of imported pufferfish, updated kava import requirements, reporting of insects and other pests detected aboard international aircraft, diagnostic cost recovery and treatment provider compliance. DAFF also suspended Major's Pest Management Service Pte Ltd (AEI: SG4004SB) from the approved treatment provider list under the Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme, effective 13 October.

BICON developments included proposed Phase 2 diagnostic cost recovery reforms from 1 November 2026, subject to legislative approval, mandatory PCR testing for Citrus vein enation virus for imported Citrus spp. nursery stock during post-entry quarantine, new scientific-name documentation requirements for restricted seed for sowing, and an update to approved sources of tissue cultures free of media (ex-agar).

Exporters also had a busy week. Multiple DAFF notices addressed Indonesia's Halal Law, including requirements affecting milk and milk products, fish and fish products and edible non-prescribed goods. Other developments covered sourcing and harvesting restrictions for Tasmanian abalone, changed requirements for Australian lemons exported to Korea, health certification for rendered edible tallow exported to the United States, and updated Red Imported Fire Ant treatment advice.

Outside the immediate biosecurity sphere, industry should also note Anti-Dumping Investigation 691 concerning aluminium windows and doors exported from the People's Republic of China.

Finally, several planned and unplanned DAFF system disruptions occurred during the week, affecting DAFF Messaging and other departmental systems. Members should continue to monitor system notifications where outages or maintenance may affect operational processing.

Overall, this week's developments highlight the increasing emphasis on documentation integrity, verification, competency and regulatory compliance across Australia's biosecurity and international trade environment.

We hope you enjoy this week's report.

Summary

Import Updates 

Import activity this week centred on changes to inspection arrangements, biosecurity reporting requirements, diagnostic cost recovery and treatment provider compliance.

DAFF issued updated requirements for the inspection of imported pufferfish, alongside further updated advice on the requirements for importing kava. Importers dealing with these commodities should review the revised requirements and consider any implications for their import arrangements.

Biosecurity measures were also a key focus, with DAFF issuing advice on reporting insects and other pests detected onboard international aircraft prior to arrival in Australia. A further notice addressed improving cost recovery for diagnostic activities, highlighting changes associated with DAFF's diagnostic functions.

In addition, DAFF advised that Major's Pest Management Service Pte Ltd (AEI: SG4004SB) has been suspended from the treatment provider list. Importers and industry participants using offshore treatment providers should take note of the suspension when making treatment arrangements.

Overall, this week's notices reflect DAFF's continued focus on strengthening import controls, biosecurity preparedness and compliance across imported goods and international transport pathways.
 

Export Updates

Export activity increased significantly this week, with 10 notices issued by DAFF covering halal requirements for the Indonesian market, seafood and horticulture exports, certification requirements for the United States, and biosecurity treatment advice.

A major focus was Indonesia's Halal Law, with a series of updates affecting milk and milk products, fish and fish products, and edible non-prescribed goods. Further notices issued on 19 October included Halal Law Update #8, including an extension to implementation for fish and fish products. Exporters supplying the Indonesian market should review the latest commodity-specific notices and consider any implications for their export arrangements.

DAFF also issued advice concerning Tasmanian abalone, with updated sourcing and harvesting restrictions, as well as changes to the requirements for Australian lemons exported to Korea.

For exporters to the United States, DAFF issued advice concerning the health certificate for the export of rendered edible tallow.
Finally, DAFF published updated Red Imported Fire Ant treatment advice, continuing the biosecurity-related guidance issued to exporters and industry participants.
 

System Notifications - Outages, Service Disruptions and Restorations

This week's system notifications were primarily focused on scheduled and unplanned service disruptions affecting DAFF messaging and multiple departmental systems. During the week, industry was advised of an urgent scheduled outage affecting multiple systems from 13 to 14 October, followed by a further scheduled outage between 16 and 17 October. DAFF subsequently confirmed the restoration of the affected multiple systems on 17 October. On 19 October, an unplanned disruption to DAFF Messaging was also reported, while a separate notification confirmed the restoration of AIMS services. Overall, the notifications reflect a combination of planned maintenance, unexpected service disruptions and subsequent restorations across DAFF's operational systems.
 

BICON Watch - Weekly Case updates 

This week's case alerts and BICON updates focused on diagnostic cost recovery, strengthened plant health testing and tighter import verification requirements. DAFF advised that Phase 2 of its diagnostic cost recovery reforms is proposed to commence on 1 November 2026, subject to legislative approval, introducing legislated fees for most diagnostic activities on imported goods, together with published pricing and more transparent invoicing.

Several BICON case changes were also introduced. Mandatory PCR testing for Citrus vein enation virus (CVEV) now applies to imported Citrus spp. nursery stock during post-entry quarantine, while the existing 24-month minimum quarantine period remains unchanged.

New documentation requirements for restricted seed for sowing require supporting documents to identify the scientific name of imported seed, strengthening species verification and helping reduce potential border delays. The approved sources of tissue cultures free of media (ex-agar) list was also updated, with Micro Pro Orchids removed as an approved source, reinforcing the need for importers and brokers to check that consignments originate from a currently approved facility.
 

Cargo Operations Snapshot

2026-2027 FTA Online CPD Training Packages

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Cargo Consultative Committee (DCCC)

• Meeting 104 2026 – Communique
• Meeting 104 2026 – Minutes

Australian Fumigation Accreditation Scheme (AFAS):

Biosecurity Treatment Providers Reference Group (BTPRG)

On 1 July 2020, Freight & Trade Alliance established the Biosecurity Treatment Providers Reference Group (BTPRG) designed to provide a One Voice platform for treatment providers to engage with the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) to deliver nationally consistent advocacy position(s) to government to lead reform and implement best practice. You can read our terms of reference HERE.
If you would like more information, please contact John Park.  The value of the group has been acknowledged by DAFF as can be seen HERE.

As always, we encourage members to share their feedback and insights to help us identify issues and advocate for improvements on your behalf.

Lucy Robinson - Licensed Customs Broker
Head of Border, Biosecurity & Logistics - FTA / APSA

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